In an Instant
by KACULLEN
Summary: A normal day at school turns into a nightmare when bullied Mike reaches the breaking point. In the wake of Forks High School's most tragic day Bella, Edward, and the town must deal with heartbreaking loss, anxiety, and find their way to recovery. In an instant, everything can change.
1. Normal to Nightmare

**I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter One: Normal to Nightmare

"Bella! Hurry up, you're going to be late," Charlie bellowed from the kitchen.

"I'll be down in a minute," I said, grabbing my backpack off the floor. I quickly stuffed my textbooks and homework assignments inside, and somehow managed to get the zipper up over the bulging contents. I hurried down the stairs, and when I reached the kitchen my dad glanced up from his newspaper and scrambled eggs and looked pointedly at the clock that hung on the kitchen wall. I rolled my eyes in response.

"I know, I know," I said as I grabbed a Pop Tart from the cupboard, "I'm leaving now."

As soon as the Pop Tart was securely in the front pocket of my bag I dashed into the hallway, grabbed my coat and my car keys from the little dish on the table in the hallway and headed for the door. I couldn't help but notice that my bag weighed roughly the same amount as I did, thanks to the insane number of books I was forced to carry.

"Have fun at school, kiddo," Charlie called from the kitchen.

"Will do," I muttered sarcastically.

"Don't forget dinner with the Blacks tonight," Charlie yelled as I ran out the door.

"I won't," I replied, "Bye, Dad!"

Billy Black was my dad's best friend, and we had dinner with him and his son Jacob at least once a week. Dinner with the Blacks meant I got a break from cooking, but it also meant I had to put up with Jacob's incessant attempts to kiss me and get me to go out on a date with him. Even though I made it clear numerous times that I don't reciprocate his feelings, he doesn't take the hint. Routinely during the evenings we spend there, Jacob manages to find an opportunity to get me alone, and I do my best to politely refuse because his dad is such good friends with mine. However, it was quickly approaching time for drastic action.

I climbed into my truck, which my dad bought from Billy, and started it up. As it roared to life I was reminded of another reason why I was forced to stay on Jacob's good side. He is my mechanic, and if anything ever goes wrong with the truck he fixes it and all I have to pay for is the parts, which is about all I can usually afford.

Glancing at the clock on the dash I realized how late I really was and quickly pulled away from the curb. I pushed my truck to its limit, trying to do everything in my power to make it to school on time. Since my dad is the Chief of Police, speeding isn't the smartest thing for me to be doing, but then again my truck only goes up to sixty. Not exactly Autobahn material.

Much to my surprise I pulled into the school parking lot with a few minutes to spare. After parking in the back of the lot where the only available spots were, I hurried into the building and ducked into home room just as the bell was ringing. I took my seat next to my best friend Angela and listened as the teacher read the morning announcements. After we were brought up to date on the latest fundraiser, sporting events, and lunch selections, we were left to our own devices.

"Hey," Angela said as she turned to face me, "You were late today."

"I overslept, and I got here before the bell rang so I wasn't really late," I argued.

"True," Angela agreed.

"How was your date with Ben?" I asked, steering the conversation away from my tardiness and on to Angela's favorite subject, her boyfriend Ben. I can't really blame her, if I had a boyfriend I imagine I would want to talk about him, too.

"Amazing as usual," Angela answered with a dreamy look on her face.

"You are so lucky," I moaned, "You got to spend your evening with an amazing guy; I spent mine eating fish and watching the baseball game with Charlie."

"Don't forget emailing your mom," Angela added.

"What?" I asked.

"You were going to email your mom last night," Angela said.

"Damn, I knew I forgot something. Renee is going to freak."

Charlie and my mother, Renee, got divorced when I was six and my mom moved to Phoenix. Originally she wanted me to go with her, but since I had just started kindergarten my dad talked her out of it. I visit Renee every summer, and the last time I visited she surprised me by picking me up at the airport with her new husband. Don't get me wrong, I like Phil. But he is a lot younger than my mom, and it all happened so fast it makes me a little nervous. Phil has kept my mother busy lately, but if I don't email her every few weeks she calls in a panic thinking I am in a ditch or something.

"Maybe you should write a note on your hand or something, so you remember," Angela said.

"Good idea," I replied as I took a pen out of my bag. My Pop Tart fell out of the front pocket of my bag as I took the pen out, so I munched on it while I wrote EMAIL MOM on the top of my hand. Angela and I were pretty quiet for the rest of homeroom, as I was busy eating my Pop Tart and she was busy thinking about Ben. The starry eyed look on her face was what gave away her thoughts.

The bell rang and we said good bye and left for our first classes of the day. My first class was English, which was pretty close to homeroom so I didn't have to rush. Just as I stepped out into the hallway, though, I heard a crash. When I turned I saw Eric and Tyler pushing Mike up against his locker.

Eric and Tyler were among the popular kids in school, but for some unexplainable reason they took great pleasure in picking on weaker and less popular kids. I had never seen anyone try to stop them, probably because they may become the next target if Eric and Tyler felt that their "fear factor" was being threatened. Mike had never done anything to them, and he was clearly just getting books from his locker, so their actions were completely unwarranted.

I watched in horror as Eric placed his palm on Mike's forehead and shoved his head into the metal locker with a sickening clang. When his head snapped back up, Mike's eyes darted around and found me, giving me a pleading look for help. I found myself frozen and helpless without a clue of what to do to help him. Just as a thought occurred to me to get one of the teachers in a nearby classroom, the bell rang. Mike fell to the floor as Eric and Tyler walked away, and suddenly I was no longer stuck to the floor. I walked over to where Mike was attempting to pull himself up and offered him my hand.

"Are you okay?" I asked as he got to his feet without my help.

"Don't pretend like you give a damn!" Mike spat before storming away.

Guilt welled within me. I stood and watched him get beat up and did nothing to help. No one else did anything either, but he begged me with his eyes for help and I did nothing. I battled self disgust all the way to English, and by the time I got there I knew that I owed Mike a huge apology. Apologizing didn't make up for my cowardice, and I couldn't blame Mike if he wouldn't accept it. I don't think I would be very forgiving to a person who stood by and let me get beat up.

English went by in a blur, as do my other morning classes, and before I knew it I was walking into the cafeteria for lunch. Lunch is my favorite part of the day. Not just because I get to take a break and eat, but because I get to hang out with Angela and Ben. I was starving, so I joined the rapidly growing lunch line. The incident with Mike kept nagging at me, though, and I was caught off guard by a high-pitched voice behind me.

"Hi Bella," I heard. I whirled around and came face to face with Alice Cullen.

"Hi Alice," I replied.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Pretty good," I replied. "How about you?"

"I'm good. I just wish this line would move faster," she answered as she bounced on her toes to see how many people were still in front of us. "I'm starving."

"I know, me too," I replied just as the lunch line moved forward. Luckily, we were towards the front of the line, so we didn't have to wait long to get our food. Once our trays were full, I headed to my table to sit with Angela and Ben while Alice headed to her table to sit with her family and friends.

Alice sits with her boyfriend Jasper, her best friend Rosalie, Rosalie's boyfriend Emmett and her twin brother Edward. Alice and Edward are twins and except for their emerald green eyes, they look nothing alike. Alice is short and petite with spiky black hair and Edward is tall and athletic with messy bronze hair.

Edward doesn't have a girlfriend, a fact which surprises me and every other female at this school. He is my lab partner in Biology, and not only is he incredibly attractive but also one of the nicest people I know.

"You're staring at Edward Cullen again," Angela said, breaking me away from my thoughts. I was so deep in my Edward haze I hadn't even realized I had made it to the table.

"I was not," I objected, causing Angela to roll her eyes. My crush on Edward wasn't exactly a secret at our lunch table. Angela keeps telling me I should make a move, but since I know there is no way in hell Edward would ever be interested in me, I stick to admiring him from afar.

"Don't lie, Bella," Angela said with a smirk, "You suck at it."

"Oh shut up," I huffed with mock anger. Angela laughed before turning to Ben and leaving me to eat my lunch. As I ate I scanned the cafeteria for Mike. I had hoped he would be here so I could apologize, but there was no sign of him at any of the tables. Actually, now that I thought about it, I couldn't remember the last time I had seen Mike eat in the cafeteria. I couldn't really blame him. If I was concerned about getting picked on, I would probably try to find somewhere peaceful to eat, too.

It didn't take me long to finish my lunch, and I gathered up my trash and made my way over to the trash can. Edward approached the trash can at the same time and nervous excitement fluttered in my stomach.

"Hi," Edward said with a small smile as he threw away his garbage.

"Hi," I replied as I felt my face heat with my signature blush.

"See you in Biology," Edward said as he turned to leave.

"Okay," I replied before hurrying back to my seat. When I got back to my lunch table I found Angela waiting for me with a smirk on her face and I quickly realized she was aware that I had talked to Edward.

"That was quite the in-depth conversation you two just had," Angela said, confirming my suspicions.

"Please drop it Angela," I begged.

"Fine," Angela replied with mock irritation.

"Thank you," I answered.

"Okay, on to bigger and better things," Angela said completely dropping the topic of Edward. "We are in desperate need of a girls' night, so I was thinking you could stay at my house on Friday."

"Sounds good," I replied, "You order the pizza and I will bring the ice cream and chick flicks."

"Deal," Angela agreed as the bell rang.

"I'll meet you in Biology," I said to Angela, "I have run to my locker really quick"

"You better hurry," Angela said as I took off in the direction of my locker.

I hurried to my locker and grabbed my notebook and textbook as I fast as I could. On my way back to the classroom I turned a corner and ran into a solid object. When I looked up and saw Edward standing there next to his locker with an amused look on his face I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

"Edward I…I'm sorry," I stuttered as my face flamed with embarrassment.

"It's fine," Edward said. He must have sensed my embarrassment, because he rested his hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you sure?" I asked as I internally kicked myself for acting so stupid in front of the guy I had been crushing on for years.

"Accidents happen," Edward reassured me, "It's really no big deal, Bella"

"Okay," I sighed as I attempted to relax and let it go.

"Come on, let's go to Bio," Edward said as he led the way. When the classroom came into view I saw that Angela was standing by the door talking to Ben while Eric and Tyler were standing close by talking to Jessica and Lauren, their girlfriends.

I noticed Mike standing farther down the hallway, clutching his backpack in front of him and glaring at Eric and Tyler. I figured it was as good a time as any to apologize, but just as I took that first step I saw Mike reach into his bag and pull something out.

It was a gun.

Mike's hand was shaking as he raised it and aimed at Tyler, and the next few seconds turned into a slow motion nightmare.

A pair of strong arms pulled me to the ground just as his finger squeezed the trigger.

A sound, like a firework, filled the hallway just before the terror-filled screams of my classmates took over.

Another ear-splitting boom filled the air, and then I was on my feet, being dragged down the hallway among the panic stricken crowd. It took me a second to realize that Edward was pulling me by my arm into a nearby classroom.

Edward shut the door, then cursed when he realized it didn't have a lock.

"This isn't the safest room, but the hallway is not an option right now so we have to stay put," Edward explained and I nodded. My brain wasn't able to form actual words and comprehend what had just happened at the same time. I'm pretty sure Edward said something else, but between the ringing in my ears from the gunshots and the mixed up jumbles that were my thoughts, I couldn't be sure.

"Bella," Edward grabbed my shoulders and forced me to concentrate on his face, "I asked you if you were okay."

"I…I don't know," I said as I fought back tears, "I think so, but my ears are ringing. I'm scared out of my mind."

"Me too," Edward whispered as he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I rested my head on his chest as tears silently cascaded down my cheeks. At that point, Edward was the only thing keeping me sane. All of the stupid teenage crush stuff and butterflies that I normally felt when I was around him had been converted to a desperate need for protection and reassurance.

"Edward, did Mike actually shoot Eric and Tyler?" I asked as I realized I didn't know the extent of the damage Mike had caused.

"I don't know," Edward replied, "When I saw him raise the gun I pulled you down, and then everyone was running around so I couldn't see what happened. When the second shot went off we were still on the ground and the chaos was even worse."

I tried to remember who else had been standing near Tyler and Eric. Another wave a terror ran through me as I remembered.

"Angela," I whispered in horror.

"What?" Edward asked.

"My best friend Angela was standing with her boyfriend right next to Tyler and Eric," I explained in panic. "What if she got shot? Oh God, Edward I have to go check!"

"No way in hell are you leaving this room," Edward said.

"Edward I have to," I argued as I started towards the door.

"Bella, I know that you are worried," Edward said as he put his hand on my arm to stop me, "but we don't know for sure if she is hurt, and if you go out there and get yourself shot it will makes things worse either way."

I really wanted to argue but I knew he was right; me doing something stupid and reckless wouldn't help anything.

"You're right," I said as I moved away from the door.

"Bella, believe me. If I thought it was safe I would be out there looking for my sister," Edward said with worry for Alice written all over his face.

"I know. But Edward, remember that Alice is tough, and she wasn't even around when the gun went off," I said as I rested my hand on his arm in a comforting gesture.

"You're right, and I know that, but I'm still worried," Edward said and I nodded in understanding.

"Edward, what are we going to do?" I asked.

"I don't know," Edward answered as he once again wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

Just then the door was thrown open with bang loud enough to make and Edward and I jump.

"Well, well…isn't this cozy?" Mike's angry voice came from the doorway causing chills of terror to run up and down my spine. I turned to face Mike and took some comfort in the fact that Edward kept his arm around my shoulder.

Mike was glaring at us with a hatred I had never seen before. My eyes, however, quickly left his face and landed on the gun that was clutched tightly in his lowered arm.

"You're probably wishing you had helped me out this morning, aren't you?" Mike asked as he raised the gun.

"Yes," I whispered as I stood frozen in terror, staring at the gun pointed at my face, "I'm so sorry."

"It's a bit late for apologies," Mike spat.

"Mike, please don't shoot her," Edward begged as he stared at the gun pointed at my head.

"No need to worry. I'm not going to shoot her," Mike explained as he glanced at Edward from the corner of his eye, "I'm going to shoot you."

"Mike…" I started, but he cut me off.

"See, shooting her wouldn't hurt her. Not really. She would die quickly without experiencing any lasting pain and suffering," he continued as he moved the gun away from my face and pointed it at Edward's.

"However, killing you would cause her an immeasurable amount of pain," Mike said. "I've seen the way she looks at you. It's obvious how she feels."

"Mike, please don't do this," I begged as he put his finger on the trigger.

"Shut up. I want you to feel the same pain I feel every day I come to this school," Mike said, "I want you to pay for being the self-centered bitch that you are."

Mike pulled the trigger, and I didn't even think as I shoved Edward out of the way.

A blinding pain exploded in my right arm, and I knew where the bullet had ended up. Looking down, I saw the red circle, getting bigger by the second, staining my shirt.

"Damn it!" Mike raged, "Why did you do that? Why him, but not me? When I needed you to save me you just stood there!"

I tried to answer, to apologize yet again, but my head was starting to spin and the smell of the blood was making me nauseated. I swayed where I stood, trying to stay focused. Edward looked like he wanted to help me, but with the gun still pointed at him he was unable to move.

"I have loved you for as long as I can remember, but you couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge I exist!" Mike yelled just as I felt my legs give out.

When I hit the floor, I landed on my already damaged arm and felt a new wave or overwhelming pain course through me.

"Bella," Mike said, and I could have sworn he actually sounded concerned. Consciousness was leaving me, and because of the pain and stress I welcomed the approaching darkness. My eyes refused to stay open any longer.

As I let myself drift, I heard muffled noises, as if I was underwater.

Struggling….the firecracker noise again…something falling to the floor...

Then black silence.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! **

**If you read my story Now then you have probably heard me mention this story. I was going to write it right after I finished Now, but then other ideas popped into my head and this got put on the back burner. It is now front and center so I hope you like it. Please note that this story will be angsty, but I can promise that the angst won't come from Bella and Edward's relationship. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :) **


	2. Waking Up In Hell

**I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter Two: Waking up in Hell

Blackness…

Everything was black. It was all that registered in my brain.

At first, I thought I was dead. But slowly sounds began to cut through the darkness, and I realized that was not the case. I had assumed death to be a peaceful state, not filled with beeping sounds and frantic voices. I fought to break free of the darkness, and when I did I was blinded by the bright lights of the emergency room.

I was in a sterile looking cubicle with curtains on all sides of me. A doctor was frantically pulling medical supplies out of drawers and cupboards to my right and a second later a nurse rushed in carrying even more supplies. I wanted ask what was going on, but I couldn't get my mouth to work. I needed to know if Edward was alright, but the words just wouldn't form.

I tried to sit up, jostling my arm in the process. The blinding pain that followed caused me to gasp in pain, alerting the medical staff to my consciousness. The doctor turned immediately to me and began speaking in a reassuring tone.

"Everything is going to be okay," he assured me. "We are going to take care of your arm, but first I am going to give you something for the pain." I watched as he pulled a syringe out from behind his back. Normally I hated needles, but I couldn't even find the strength to argue as he plunged it into my good arm. Whatever he gave me must have been strong, because a few seconds later I was pulled into the darkness once more. This time I welcomed it.

When I awoke for the second time, the first thing I noticed was the quiet. There was still a beeping sound from the heart monitor I was hooked up to, but other than that it was silent. My eyelids felt heavy, but I managed to keep them open long enough to take in my surroundings. I had been moved from the emergency room to a private room. It was a pretty standard hospital room; bed, TV mounted in the corner, a door which I assumed led to a bathroom, and chair next to my bed which was occupied by my sleeping father.

"Dad," I whispered, causing him to stir. I watched as he his eyes blinked open and he slowly sat up straighter. When he glance at me and noticed I was awake he quickly came and sat on my bed.

"Bells," he whispered as he gently stroked my hair, "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Tired," I replied, knowing the drugs hadn't completely worn off yet.

"How about your arm? Are you in pain?" he asked.

"The drugs must be working, because it doesn't hurt," I answered as I looked down at my now bandaged arm.

"God Bella, I don't think I have ever been as scared as I was today," Charlie said as he fought back tears.

"Yeah, me too," I replied.

"We got the call at the station that shots had been fired at the high school, and everything in me just froze. All I could think about was getting there and getting to you. We got there and all I wanted to do was run into that building and find my baby. Two of my deputies actually had to hold me back. When it ended and they started wheeling people out on stretchers, I saw you and all the blood on you and I went numb. I thought… I thought you were gone."

"I'm not," I said quietly.

"When they told me you had a pulse, I cried. They wouldn't let me ride in the ambulance with you because there wasn't enough room with all the paramedics. I panicked all the way to hospital thinking that something would go wrong and I could still lose you. I didn't though, and I have never been more grateful for anything in my life. I love you so much Bells."

The sight of my dad in tears combined with the memories of the afternoon had tears falling from my own eyes. "I know Daddy," I replied, suddenly feeling less like a teenager and more like a kid, "I love you, too." We sat there for I don't know how long as tears flowed and we took comfort in each other. I broke up the moment when my fear for Edward resurfaced.

"Dad, is he okay?" I asked.

"He was taken into custody," Charlie answered.

"What, why?" I asked confused.

"He shot four people Bella," Charlie said looking equally confused. Fortunately his answer cleared up my confusion as I realized he was talking about Mike.

"Not Mike, Dad. Edward. How is Edward?" I asked in desperation.

"Well, he is stable now, but it was touch and go there for a while," Charlie said and I felt myself go pale.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"Mike got distracted when you collapsed, and Edward tackled him and tried to get the gun away," Charlie explained, "While they were fighting, the gun went off and Edward got shot in the leg."

"Oh God," I sobbed.

"I can stop," Charlie said sensing my distress.

"No, I want to know everything," I persisted.

"Well, I guess the bullet hit his femoral artery and they had a hard time controlling the bleeding," he concluded.

"But they did, right?" I asked.

"Yes. Like I said, it was touch and go for a while but he is going to be fine," Charlie answered.

"Will he be able to walk again?" I asked.

"I think he will have to go through some major physical therapy, but yes he should be able to walk," Charlie said.

"What about my arm?" I asked, suddenly scared I may not be able to use it again.

"The doctor said that you have some nerve damage and you are going to need physical therapy as well," Charlie explained and I nodded in understanding. While that news wasn't great, I knew it could have been much worse so I wasn't going to complain.

"Bells, there is something else you should know," Charlie said, suddenly looking even more uncomfortable than I thought was possible.

"Remember how I said Mike shot four people?" he asked and I nodded.

"Well, there was you and Edward, and your science teacher, Mr. Banner," he continued and I was surprised because I honestly didn't even remember seeing Mr. Banner.

"Is Mr. Banner okay?" I asked, but judging by the look on my dad's face the answer was no.

"He didn't make it Bells," he answered, confirming my suspicion. I started sobbing again, because even though Mr. Banner wasn't my favorite teacher it was heartbreaking to know I would never see him again.

"I'm sorry Bells," Charlie said as he sat next to me on the bed and held me close.

"Who was the other person who was shot?" I asked when I was somewhat under control.

"Well…," Charlie began, but he was cut off when the door burst open and my mom hurried in.

"Bella, oh my God!" My mom was in hysterics as she sat on the other side of my bed "My baby girl, are you okay?"

"Yes," I whimpered as the tears started up again. Having both my parents here made me realize just how much I needed them right now.

"Oh sweetie, I've never been as scared as was today when your dad called and told me you had been shot," my mom explained as she worked on calming her breathing.

"I am sorry I scared you," I whispered.

"You're okay, and that's all that matters," my mom said as she gently kissed my forehead. My tears were beginning to slow and I was suddenly finding it very hard to keep my eyes open. I didn't want to sleep but my dad noticed my struggle.

"Bells, go to sleep honey," he said.

"Will you guys stay?" I asked.

"Of course," Charlie answered.

"We aren't going anywhere," my mom added. My dad sat back down in the chair next to my bed and gently held my hand, while my mom sat next to me on the bed and stroked my hair. The soothing feel of my mom's fingers, combined with the drugs that were still being pumped into me through the IV in my hand, had me asleep in seconds.

_I was sitting next to Edward in Biology; we were working on a lab assignment and everything was blissfully normal. Edward was writing down the answer to one of our lab questions so I decided to get started on the next. I picked up a slide on put in under the microscope._

_I looked into the microscope and when I looked up again Mike was there, standing next to Edward with a gun in his hand. I watched in horror as he raised the gun and pointed the gun at Edward. Edward noticed my look of horror and started to turn. Mike shot him in the back before he could._

_I screamed as Edward fell to the ground and blood began to pool around him. I didn't care that Mike was still standing over me with a gun; I dropped to the floor next to Edward and tried to help him._

"_Edward stay with me!" I said as I grabbed a sweater off of my chair and used it to try and stop the bleeding._

"_Bell…a," Edward croaked before his eyes slide shut._

"_NO!" I yelled before another gunshot filled the air and everything went black._

I woke with a start and looked around frantically as I took in the still unfamiliar surroundings of the hospital room. My breathing was ragged, I was covered in a cold sweat and my heart monitor was going crazy. I quickly worked on calming myself down because the last thing I wanted was for a nurse to come in here or for my parents to wake up. I couldn't deal with other people at the moment.

It took a minute, but I finally settled down. Once I was fully in control again I looked at my now sleeping parents. My dad was slumped in the chair and mom was in a chair on the other side of the bed. I sighed as I thought back to the nightmare I had just had. Seeing Edward lying there was horrifying and I wanted nothing more than to run to his room to make sure he was okay. I knew that wasn't possible at the moment because I couldn't get out of bed, and according to the clock on the wall it was 5 in the morning.

My dad had said Edward was fine, but until I saw him with my own eyes I knew I wasn't going to be able to believe it. I was going to have to see if I could get someone to bring me to his room later.

My dad grunted in his sleep and I turned to look at him. I knew his neck was going to be sore in the morning with the way was slumped in the chair, and I knew I should feel bad about that but I just couldn't because I needed him here.

My mom looked a little more comfortable with her head tipped back and her feet resting up on the end of my bed. I needed her too.

I didn't know what was going too happen now or how we were going to get through this, but I knew we were all going to need each other more than ever. I shifted to try and get more comfortable and when I did the IV in my arm got pulled the wrong way. I looked down to make sure it was ok and when I did I happened to notice my other hand. It was sticking out of the sling and in the darkened room I could just barely see the fading black letters.

**E-Mail MOM**

The sight of this overwhelmed me, and when I thought of everything that had happened in the twenty four hours since I had wrote I started sobbing. It was hard to believe everything had gone wrong so fast, and it was even harder to believe that anything would ever be normal again.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! **

**Hi everyone! I know that I usually reply to all of your reviews and then thank each of you in my author's note but I didn't have time this time, please don't hate me. I just didn't have a lot of time and I really wanted to put up the new chapter and give you guys something read. Please know that I love each of you for taking the time to read and review my story :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	3. Misery Loves Company

**I don't own Twilight!**

Misery Loves Company

When I finally calmed down and the tears stopped, I managed to fall back to sleep. Thankfully it was dreamless this time, so I was able to get some rest. I began to stir a few hours later when I heard voices. It sounded like my parents were arguing about something. I didn't have the energy to deal with them, so I kept my eyes closed and just listened.

"We have to tell her," my dad said.

"No. She is on emotional overload as it is," my mom argued, "She can't handle anything else."

"What if she hears about it from someone else?" my dad said, "Don't you think that would be worse?"

"We can ask the doctors and nurses not to say anything," my mom said, but I could tell she was losing her fight.

"For God's sake, Renee, it's all over the news," Charlie said, "All she has to do is turn on the T.V."

"This is going to destroy her," mom said quietly.

"I know," my dad said with a sigh and I could tell that the fight had left him as well. I couldn't take it anymore, they were clearly talking about something major, and I wanted to know what was going on. Whatever happened was apparently bad, but I didn't know what could be worse then what had already happened.

"What's going on?" I asked as slowly opened my eyes.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry," my mom said as sat next to me on the bed, "We didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," I replied, "What were you talking about?"

"Nothing you need to worry about now," my mom said. One glance at my dad told me he disagreed.

"Just tell me what is going on," I said, "I'd rather hear whatever it is from you guys and not someone else."

"This isn't going to be easy for you to hear," my mom said, clearly wanting to just end the conversation somehow.

"What is it?" I asked growing impatient.

"Bella," my dad said as he came to sit on the other side of my bed, "Do you remember yesterday when I told you four people had been shot?"

"Yes," I said, already not liking where this was going.

"Well, you already know that you, Edward, and Mr. Banner were shot," my dad said.

"Yes," I said again, "Who was the fourth person?"

"It was Angela," My dad said, pausing for a moment to give me time to adjust to that piece of information before continuing on. "I'm so sorry, Bells. She didn't make it."

I sat there, perfectly still, not believing a word my dad had said. What in the world would make him say that? There was no way that Angela, my friend, was dead. We were going to have sleepover on Friday, have pizza, and watch movies. She couldn't be dead.

One look at my mom and dad's faces was enough to cut through my denial, though. They both had genuine tears of grief in their eyes. Suddenly everything inside my head was unraveling at lightning speed as my brain tried to grasp what my heart just wouldn't accept.

"No," I whispered and shook my head.

"I'm so sorry Bells," my dad said.

"NO!" I said louder as I started to sob, "You're wrong. She's not dead."

"Bella, I know how hard this is for you," my mom said.

"No…no…no…no," I chanted over and over again as I sobbed uncontrollably. My heart monitor was beeping wildly at this point, and a nurse entered with a syringe.

"I am sorry, but I am going to have to sedate her," the nurse said.

"Is that really necessary?" my mom asked as she attempted to calm me down.

"Yes. She needs to calm down or the spike in her blood pressure could make her very sick," the nurse said, giving my parents a look of concern. She added whatever was in the syringe to my I.V.

It didn't take long to kick in. I felt myself being pulled under and I welcomed it. I could only hope that when I woke up I find out this had all been a nightmare. Unfortunately, a few hours later when I woke up I realized my hope had been nothing more than an effort in futility. My arm was still in a sling, which meant I had been shot and that Angela was gone.

I couldn't think about that, so I looked around the room for something to distract me. My parents were no longer in the room, and I figured they we at home getting a fresh change of clothes or maybe in the cafeteria getting something to eat.

I noticed that there was a remote sitting the table next to my bed. I grabbed it with my good arm and flipped on the T.V.

Of course it tuned in to a channel with the local news on and they were talking about the shooting. I knew that was the last thing I needed to watch, so I flipped the channel. More news. The next couple of channels were all news so I kept flipping unit I came to some mindless sitcom. I didn't really know much about the show, but it was better than the alternative. I watched it for about ten minutes before I gave up and turned the remote off.

What I wanted more than anything was to get up and move around. Lying in this bed was doing nothing but helping me dwell in on the negative. I knew if I didn't get up and move the grief would consume me, since I was fighting back tears as it was. I pushed the call button and waited for a nurse to come in. It didn't take long, and the nurse who had the syringe walked in, thankfully without the syringe this time.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked kindly.

"A little," I lied. "Do think it would be okay for me to get up and move around?"

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" she asked.

"Actually yes," I said, because now that she had mentioned it I really did have to go. The nurse nodded and pulled my blanket off of me. She then moved my legs so they rested on floor instead of the bed. Finally she put her arm around my shoulder and helped me up. Standing up made me realize how weak I really was.

We walked slowly to the bathroom and she wheeled the I.V. with us. Once I was situated in the bathroom she closed the door and waited in my room. When I was done she started to help me back to my bed, but I stopped her.

"I was wondering if I could visit one of my friends who is also in the hospital?" I asked as I thought of Edward.

"You need to rest," she said.

"Please, I just found out my best friend Angela was killed. Edward, my other friend, was shot too and I just need to see with my own eyes that he is okay," I said. The nurse looked at me and something in my face must have gotten to her because she sighed and nodded.

"Alright," she said, "Just sit down and I will go get a wheelchair."

"Thank you," I replied as she helped me sit on the edge of my bed. I only had to wait a minute before she returned with the wheel chair. The nurse helped me into the chair, put a blanket over my legs, and we were on our way.

"So I assume your friend Edward is Edward Cullen?" the nurse asked, "Dr. Cullen's son?"

"Yes," I replied. I had forgotten that Edward's dad was a doctor at this hospital. We were silent as she wheeled me down the hallway. We turned into a room at the end of the hall and I was shocked to realize that Edward's room was so close to mine.

Edward was propped up in bed and his injured leg was sticking out of the blanket covered in gauze and bandages.

"Hi," I said quietly.

"Hi," Edward replied as he sat up a little straighter.

"I'll give you some time, but you both do need your rest," the nurse said as she turned to leave.

"Thank you," I said, and she turned back to smile at me before leaving the room. Edward and I were silent as we listened to the nurse's retreating footsteps in the hallway. When the sound finally faded away we turned our eyes to each other.

"How are you?" Edward and I asked in unison. I blushed as I dropped my gaze to my lap; I began to play with a loose sting on my hospital gown.

"Bella," Edward said quietly, "Are you okay?"

"Not really," I replied with a sigh as I slowly brought my gaze up to meet his again.

"Are you ok?"

"Not really," he replied mirroring my words.

"This all just seems so surreal," I said.

"I know," Edward agreed, "I keep thinking I'll wake up and this will all have been just a nightmare."

"I keep thinking the same thing," I said. We were quiet then as we gathered our thoughts.

"Bella," Edward said, breaking the silence, "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

"For taking a bullet for me," he said. "I mean, we don't really know each other, but you still pushed me out of the way and took a bullet for me."

"It wasn't that big of a deal," I mumbled as the blush crept up on my face again.

"Yeah it was," Edward argued.

"Well, I owe you a thank you too," I said as tried to get the attention off of myself, "I mean, you took a bullet trying to save me and stop Mike."

"I just reacted on instinct," Edward shrugged like his heroism was no big deal.

"What happened after I passed out?" I asked.

"When you fell Mike got distracted and took his gaze off of me. I tried to use his focus on you to my advantage and tackle him. We fought, and we both had our hands on the gun when it went off. The bullet hit my leg and Mike lost his grip on the gun. I grabbed it, and once it was in my hand all the fight went out of Mike, and he gave up."

"Wow," was all I could say.

"I managed to stay conscious until help came," Edward said, finishing his story, "I passed out in the ambulance and woke up here."

"How is your leg?" I asked.

"It looks pretty gross, but thanks to the pain meds I can't feel it," Edward said.

"Yeah I can't feel my arm, either," I said, "I haven't seen it yet though."

"Really? They haven't had to check on it yet?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so," I said, "I suppose they could have done it after they sedated me this morning."

"You were sedated?" Edward asked.

"I…I found out about Angela, and I didn't take the news very well," I said, and felt tears well up as I thought about it.

"I heard about what happened to her," Edward said as he reached for a Kleenex on his nightstand and handed it to me. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," I said as I wiped my eyes.

"I heard she died a hero, though," Edward said.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"I guess when Mike pointed his gun at Tyler and Eric she pushed one of them out of the way and took the bullet," Edward explained, "At least that is what it said on the news."

"Angela was always such a good person," I said.

"I know," Edward said as he reached over and squeezed my hand.

"Was your sister okay?" I asked, desperately needing to change the subject before the grief took over.

"Yeah," Edward said with a small smile, "She is downstairs buying out the gift shop as we speak."

"Where are your parents?" I asked as I just now realized the room was empty.

"My dad finally convinced my mom that they needed to go home to shower and change their clothes" Edward said.

"Yeah I think that is what my parents are doing, too," I said, "They were gone when I woke up, so I assume that is where they are."

"Alright," said the nurse from the doorway, startling both of us, "It's time for you to get back to your room, Bella."

"But I just got here," I protested.

"I know, but you need your rest," the nurse said, "You can come back later if you want."

I couldn't argue that I wasn't emotionally drained or felt tired. So I only nodded as she came over to grab the handles of my wheelchair.

"Bye Bella," Edward said.

"Bye, Edward," I replied as I was wheeled from the room.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Angelus Draco, the captains wife, frostedglaze, ellaryne, debslmac, sandy4321, FoxStorm77, boo1414, Flavia Ribeiro, SelenaQuintanillaLOVER, Mireads, sujari6, midnight-sun1918 for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	4. Bad Dreams and Visitors

**I don't own Twilight!**

Bad Dreams and Visitors

When we got back to my room the nurse helped me back into bed, and as soon as I was settled I realized just how tired I was. It felt strange that something as simple as going down the hall for a few minutes could tire me out so much.

"Do you need anything before I leave?" the nurse asked.

"No, I'm okay," I said, and then added, "Thank you for letting me go see my friend."

"You are welcome," she replied. "It was the least I could do after everything you poor kids have been through."

"Seeing Edward meant a lot to me," I said.

"I could tell," she said with a sweet smile. "I'll let you rest now." As she started to leave the room I realized I never learned her name. After everything she had done for me, I was still referring to her as 'the nurse' in my head, and that needed to stop.

"What is your name?" I asked just as she got to the door.

"Maggie," she said with another smile before she left. I closed my eyes, and within seconds I was asleep.

"_Bella…finally! I thought you would never get here," Angela said as I sat down at the lunch table next her._

"_Sorry, I had to get something out of my locker," I said as I picked up and apple and took a bite._

"_Are we still on for girls' night this weekend?" Angela asked. _

"_Yep," I replied with smile. I was about to ask her about which movies we were going to watch, but out of the corner my eye something caught my attention. Mike had just walked into the cafeteria, and he had his backpack in front of him. He was heading our way, quickly. I knew something bad was going to happen, but I was frozen. I couldn't move or talk._

"_Bella, are you okay?" Angela asked. I couldn't respond. I could only watch in horror as Mike stopped behind Angela and pulled out a gun. I wanted to scream or push Angela out of the way, but all I could do was watch as he raised the gun and shot my best friend in the head._

"_ANGELA!" I screamed as my voice finally returned. I fell to the floor and cradled her head in my lap. Blood was flowing steadily from her head onto my hands and clothes._

"_Angela," I sobbed. "No, Angela. Please, no!"_

"Bella," _I heard from somewhere in the distance._

"_Angela," I whimpered._

"Bella!"

_The voice was louder, and it was pulling me away from Angela. _

"Open your eyes," the voice said right next to me. My eyes cracked open and I was met with the sight of my parents looking at me with concern and relief.

"Thank God," my mom murmured.

"You were yelling in your sleep, Bells," my dad explained as he tenderly stroked my hair. "You kept yelling for Angela."

"I had a dream about Mike shooting her," I said as my already wet eyes filled with tears. "I couldn't save her."

"Oh Bells," my dad said as he wrapped his arm around me and held me tight. My mom came around to the other side of my bed and gently wrapped her arm around me.

Huge, gut-wrenching sobs rocked my body as my parents held me and the grief finally took over. My best friend was gone, and there was no way I could save her. It was all too much to comprehend. I knew at some point I was going to have to come to terms with all of this, I just didn't have any idea how to do it.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but by the time my parents pulled away my eyes were red, puffy, and sore. I noticed my parents eyes were also red, and I knew they must have been crying too. My mom grabbed a box of Kleenex from my bedside table and passed them around. The doctor walked in as we were all drying our eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I need to check on Miss Swan, but I can come back."

"You don't have to go," I said, because I really didn't want to have to deal with him again later.

"Alright, then. Let me just check your vitals and your wound," he said, "then I will be on my way."

I nodded and the doctor got started. Luckily it didn't take him long to do what he needed to do.

"Your vitals look good and so does your arm," he said when he was done. "No sign of infection, which is excellent news."

"Good," my mom said in relief.

"That being said, I would like to keep you here for at least one more day," he continued. "You lost a lot of blood and I'd like to monitor you, just to be safe."

"Okay," I replied, too worn down to argue.

"I'll check on you again tomorrow," he said and I nodded.

"Thank you doctor," my dad said as the doctor left. As soon as he was gone, Maggie came in carrying a tray which she set on the table at the end of my bed.

"Dinner time," she said as pulled the table up towards me. Maggie lifted the lid and I didn't even try to hide the grimace of disgust from my face. There was some kind of meat covered in way too much orange-brown gravy, mashed potato also covered in gravy, a roll, a red square of Jell-O, and a carton of milk.

"I know it looks gross," Maggie said conspiratorially, "but you have to eat it so you can get your strength up."

"Fine," I grumbled.

"Try to encourage her to eat," Maggie said with a smile for my parents before she left the room. I started with the roll figuring it was the safest; it was a little stale but not too bad. Luckily, the gravy that was drenching the rest of my food was tasteless, so the other stuff was bearable. My mom had to help me with the meat, which turned out to be turkey, because I couldn't cut it with one hand. I only took a bit of my Jell-O because I was pretty full at that point; my dad finished the rest of it. Once I was done my mom pushed the button next to the bed and Maggie came in and took my plate.

"Good girl," she said with a smile when she picked up the plate. After she left, my dad turned on the television and started flipping channels; he quickly passed over the news and stopped on a mindless sitcom. We watched it for a while, but then I started yawing and I had to fight to stay awake.

"Bella, close your eyes and sleep, sweetie," my mom said as she noticed my drowsy state.

"I don't want to," I said.

"You need your rest Bella," my dad said.

"Every time I close my eyes I end up having horrible dreams," I said as I thought of the dreams I had of Edward and Angela.

"I know baby, but you need to sleep," Mom said as she continued to stroke my hair. I tried as hard as I could to fight the tiredness, but it was impossible. Soon I found myself drifting off to sleep. Luck must have been on my side, because I slept dreamlessly and peacefully. When I woke up the sun was shining through the windows and my room was empty.

I realized that my parents must have gone home sometime after I fell asleep. As much as I wanted them here, I knew that sleeping in chairs was not ideal, so I was glad they left.

"Good morning," Maggie said as she breezed into the room with anther tray.

"Breakfast?" I surmised.

"Good guess," she said as she lifted the lid to reveal scrambled eggs and bacon.

"Thank you," I said as I dug in and she left the room. When I was finished I pushed the tray away and turned on the television. I was in the middle of watching The Price is Right when Maggie walked in and took my tray. A few minutes later there was knock on the door. I looked over as Maggie popped her head into the room.

"Since you ate all of your breakfast, I brought you a surprise," Maggie said and I watched as she wheeled Edward into my room. He was in a wheelchair, and his foot was elevated in the little foot rest on the bottom of the chair.

"Hi," I said as I awkwardly tried to sit up. Maggie helped me and then left so Edward and I could have some time to ourselves.

"Are you supposed to be out of bed?" I asked as I worriedly looked at his leg.

"Maggie said it was okay," Edward said with a shrug.

"Well, I am happy to see you again," I said with a small smile.

"It's good to see you, too," Edward said with smile of his own.

"How are you feeling today?" I asked.

"Sore and tired," he replied, "I didn't sleep very well last night."

"How come?" I asked.

"I…I had a dream about you," he mumbled.

"Oh," I said, hesitantly. "Was it a bad dream or good dream?"

"It was bad," he said with a tremor in his voice. "We were back in the classroom with Mike and he shot you. You died, and I couldn't stop it."

"I had a dream like that about you the other night," I admitted as I reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. "It's the reason I wanted to see you so badly yesterday."

"You wanted to make sure I was okay," he said.

"Yes," I replied.

"That was how felt this morning," he said. "I was panicking, and I knew the only thing that would calm me down was seeing you for myself and knowing you were okay."

"I'm okay," I said, and gave his hand another squeeze.

"I know, and I am so glad," he said, and his thumb started rubbing soothing circles on my hand.

"I had a dream about Angela yesterday," I said quietly. "We were at lunch, Mike shot her, and I couldn't save her."

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry," Edward said.

"I woke up and I couldn't stop crying, because I knew she was gone and I could never save her," I said as tears once again filled my eyes.

"Here," Edward said gently as he handed me a Kleenex from the box by my bed.

"Thanks," I replied as I dried my eyes. "Edward, do you think things will ever be okay again?"

"I hope so," he replied. "I'll make you a deal, though."

"What kind of deal?" I asked.

"I'll help you get through this, however I can," he said, "if you promise to help me get through it, too."

"Deal," I said.

"So, what are you watching?" Edward asked, and I was grateful we were moving on to less painful subjects.

"The Price is Right," I replied and turned up the volume.

"I used to love watching this show whenever I was home sick," Edward said as we watched a woman spin the wheel to try to get into the 'showcase showdown.'

"Me too," I replied, "but it's not the same without Bob Barker."

"Definitely not," Edward agreed. We watched in silence for a few minutes before Maggie came back in to take Edward back to his room.

"I'll see you soon," Edward said as Maggie wheeled him away.

"Okay," I said with a smile. Once Edward was back in his room, Maggie came back to help me go to the bathroom. It was as awkward as the first time, but I finished quickly.

"Would you like to wash your hair?" Maggie asked while we were still in the bathroom.

"Yes, please," I replied eagerly. Maggie nodded and went to get a wheel chair. Once I was situated Maggie backed it up to the sink and quickly washed my hair. It helped me to feel human again, and before I knew it I was back in bed.

"Thank you," I said as she was leaving.

"You're welcome," she replied.

Once she was gone I closed my eyes. Reluctant to face what dreams my psyche had in store for me, but unable to keep the sleep at bay, I rested once again.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Angelus Draco,LiLi82, frostedglaze, the captains wife, ahhleesaaa, sandy4321, .X, ellaryne, alc1002,FoxStorm77, SelenaQuintanillaLOVER, sujari6,barbiedoll123, debslmac, Flavia Ribeiro, Mireads,boo1414 for leaving a review!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	5. Homecoming

**I don't Twilight!**

Homecoming

The reddish orange rays of the sunset were pouring in my window when I woke up. My sleep had been blissfully dreamless, and it was the first time in days I finally felt rested. I turned my head and noticed that my dad was sitting in the chair next to my bed reading a fishing magazine.

"Hi," I said as I sat up a little straighter.

"Hey Bells," my dad replied as he leaned over and kissed my forehead, "How did you sleep?"

"Good," I replied with a small smile.

"No nightmares?" he asked.

"None," I said.

"Good," he said sounding as relieved as I felt.

"Where is mom?" I asked as I noted her absence.

"Renee is picking Phil up at the airport," my dad said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Although my dad would never admit it, I knew he was still in love with my mom, and because of this her husband Phil was not his favorite person.

"Phil is on his way here?" I asked.

"Yeah, he wanted to be here for you and for your mom," My dad said.

"That's sweet," I replied.

"Yeah it is," my dad agreed.

"Is he staying at the house?" I asked.

"No. I draw the line there," my dad said, "They are staying in a hotel."

"That is probably best," I said.

"I know it is," my dad said, "Me, your mother, and Phil in one house is the last thing you need to deal with when you are recovering."

"Very true," I agreed and we shared a smile. It felt weird to smile. On one hand, it felt freeing after everything that had happened, but on the other hand it made me feel guilty, like I was disrespecting what had happened.

"So, do you need anything?" my dad asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm good," I replied just as the doctor walked in the room.

"Hello there, Miss. Swan," he said.

"Hi," I replied.

"I'm going to do a quick exam, and then I will let know if you can go home tomorrow or not."

"Okay," I replied as the doctor came over and my dad moved out of the way.

The exam didn't take long; the doctor checked my vitals and then looked at my arm. I happen to glance at the wound on my arm as he was checking and the sight of it almost made me pass out. I thought it looked pretty gross but the doctor must have disagreed because he commented on how good it looked and how well it was healing.

"Well I have good news," he said when he finished.

"I get to go home?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes, you get to go home," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," I replied.

"You are very welcome," he replied, "I will come and check on you before you leave tomorrow and I will also introduce you the physical therapist you will be working with."

"Sounds good," I replied.

"I'll see tomorrow then," he said as he headed for the door. My dad shook the doctor's hand and thanked him again. The doctor left and then my dad turned back to me.

"So how about we celebrate your homecoming? I'll go pick us up some dinner so you won't have to eat hospital food again."

"That would be awesome," I said, because I really didn't want to eat hospital food again.

"Okay, what do you want?" he asked as he grabbed his coat from the back of the chair he had been sitting in.

"Pizza," I replied without hesitation.

"Pizza it is then," my dad said as put his coat on and headed for the door.

"Thank you, Dad," I said.

"No problem Bells," he replied with a smile before he walked out of the room.

Once he was gone I picked up the remote and started flipping channels. I settled on a light-hearted romance, which was just what I needed with all the darkness surrounding me. I was just getting into the story when my mom and Phil walked in.

"Hi Bella," Phil said.

"Hi Phil," I replied, "Thank you for flying out all this way just to see me."

"Of course," Phil replied, "I care about you and I was worried, so of course I came."

"Thank you," I replied as I reached over and squeezed his hand.

"How are you feeling?" Phil asked.

"Physically, fine. They are pumping me so full of drugs that I can't feel anything," I explained, "Emotionally, I am kind of a wreck."

"Your mom told me about your friend. I'm so sorry," Phil said as he laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you," I replied in a whisper as my emotions got the best of me.

"Where did your dad go?" my mom asked, and I was thankful for the subject change.

"Dad went to go get pizza," I replied, "We are celebrating."

"Really, what are you celebrating?" my mom asked.

"The doctor came, examined me, and said I could go home tomorrow," I said.

"Bella, that's great," my mom said happily as she bent down and kissed my forehead much like my dad had earlier.

"The doctor said that he will come and check on me tomorrow and introduce me to my physical therapist before I leave."

"That sounds good," my mom said, "I bet you can't wait to get out of here."

"I really can't," I replied just as my dad walked in with the pizza.

"Oh, hi Renee, Phil," he said as set the pizza on the table at the end of the bed.

"Hi Charlie," Phil said as he walked over shook Charlie's hand, "It's nice to meet you."

"Um, yeah, you too," Charlie said before he moved the table closer so I could reach the pizza. I grabbed a piece and bit in. It was delicious and I had to resist the urge to moan as the greasy cheese filled slice filled my mouth.

Maggie walked into the room just as I was finishing my slice of pizza; she was carrying a tray, which I assumed held my diner. As soon as she saw the pizza she smiled and left. It didn't take the four of us long to finish the pizza, and when we were finished my mom and Phil left to check into their hotel.

"I think I am going to head out too," my dad said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes," my dad replied, "You have a big day tomorrow and you need your rest."

"Okay," I said as he kissed my cheek, "I love you, Dad."

"Love you too Bells," he said before he picked up his coat and left.

Thankfully, I slept peacefully that night. There were no nightmares, and I was rested and ready to go the next morning.

"Alright Miss Swan, one final check and then you should be good to go," the doctor said. My parents stood to the side as the doctor checked my arm and my vitals one last time. Phil was still at the hotel, but my mom said he was going to stop by the house later.

"Everything is still looking good," the doctor said, "just make sure you take it easy when you get home."

"I will," I promised.

"Good," the doctor said with a smile, "I'm going to want to see you again in a week, to check your arm."

"Okay," I replied.

"Alright, sit tight," he said, "I'm going to go get your physical therapist so you can meet with her quickly before you leave."

It didn't take him long, and a minute later he was walking through the door with a younger looking woman.

"Hi Bella," she said in a chipper voice.

"Um hi," I replied.

"My name is Charlotte," she said and she came over to stand by my bed.

"It's nice to meet you" I said.

"It's nice to meet you too," she said, "So, it seems like we are going to be spending a lot of time together."

"I guess," I replied.

"I'm going to let you get settled in at home and get some rest, but I am going to want to start seeing you next week."

"Alright," I said.

"Well, now that we have that settled I am going to get out of your hair so you can go home," she said with a smile before leaving the room. Once she and the doctor were gone Maggie came into the room with a wheelchair. My dad helped me into the chair while my mom gathered my things.

"Thank you for everything Maggie," I said just as she was about to leave the room.

"My pleasure," she said with a smile. My dad started wheeling me slowly down the hall and when came to Edward's room I made him stop.

"Dad, can I have a minute with Edward before we go?" I asked.

"Alright, but make it quick," he said as he wheeled me into the room. Thankfully my dad stepped out into the hall so I could have my minute with Edward alone.

"Hi," I said.

"Hey," Edward replied with a smile, "Are you going home?"

"Yep," I replied.

"Lucky you," he said.

"How much longer are you stuck in here?" I asked.

"At least a couple more days," he said, "I think because my dad's a doctor here they are being extra careful."

"I hope we can see each other again soon," I said.

"I'm sure we will see each other around here," he said with a small smirk, "I assume you will have to come back so they can check you and for physical therapy."

"You assume correctly," I said.

"See, so we are bound to run into each other some point," Edward said, "But in case we don't, can I get your phone number?"

"What?" I asked.

"Bella, I was serious about us helping each other through this," Edward said, "I want your phone number so I can call you if I need to talk. I will you give mine too, so you can call me whenever you need to talk."

Edward reached over to the table next to him a grabbed a pad of paper and a pen. I watched as he scribbled something on the paper before ripping it off the pad and handing it to me. I took and saw that he had written his home and cell number.

"Thank you Edward," I said quietly as I took the pad and pen he offered me.

"You're welcome Bella," he said softly as I wrote down my numbers and handed them to him.

"I hope you won't have to stay here much longer," I said.

"Me too," Edward said, "I'm grateful that you get to home though."

"Thank you," I said quietly as Charlie walked back in the room.

"Time to go Bells," he said.

"Bye, Edward," I said with a small wave.

"Bye, Bella," Edward replied, "Bye, Mr. Swan."

"Goodbye Mr. Cullen," Charlie said as he wheeled me out of the room. When we got to the car Charlie gently helped me into the back seat before bring the wheel chair back in to the hospital.

My mom sat in the back seat with me on the way home. When we passed the school I couldn't bear to look and instead rested my head on my mom's shoulder and closed my eyes. My mom must have sensed my distress because she wrapped her arm around me and held me close.

When we got home my dad helped me into the house and up the stairs to my bedroom. It felt so good to be back in my own bed. Once I was situated my mom went down to make me something to eat and my dad left so I could rest.

As I was moving around trying to get more comfortable I noticed the picture of me and Angela I kept on my night stand. The sight of our happy smiling face faces crushed me. I grabbed the picture and shoved it in the drawer of my night stand while fighting back tears.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Angelus Draco,vampirelove41, the captains wife, LiLi82,jansails, sandy4321, sujari6, boo1414, Flavia Ribeiro, ellaryne, debslmac, barbiedoll123, ahhleesaaa for leaving a review.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	6. Hellos and Goodbyes

**I don't own Twilight!**

Hellos and Goodbyes

I must have fallen asleep after my latest crying stint, because the next thing I knew I was awoken by something tickling my thigh. I looked down and saw that it was my phone vibrating, and noticed I had a new text message. I clicked on the little envelope in the corner and saw that it was from Edward.

**Hi**

It was short but it made me smile just a little bit anyway. I quickly replied.

**Hi**

It didn't take Edward very long to reply.

**Is it good to be home?**

I sighed and decided to be completely honest with him.

**Not as good as I thought it would be.**

**Why, what's wrong?**

**There was a picture of me and Angela on my nightstand.**

**Oh Bella, I'm sorry.**

**Its okay, I put it away. I'll take it out again someday, but right now I just can't handle the reminder.**

**I understand.**

**So, how is the hospital?**

**Super (not). Maggie just came and brought me my dinner. Meat and potatoes covered in brown sludge.**

**Yummy ;)**

**Well, at least there is pudding tonight instead of Jell-O.**

**Figures they break out the good stuff after I leave. Well, don't let your brown sludge get cold, eat up.**

**Ok, I'll talk to you soon Bella.**

**Bye Edward.**

**Bye .**

I don't know how he did it, but Edward always had a way of cheering me up. I had a small smile on my face as put down and my phone and picked up the remote for my TV. My positive mood and my smile both vanished when the news came on and Angela's picture was on the screen. I listened as the news anchor gave the details of Angela funeral that would be held the following day.

My parents had never said anything about Angel's funeral to me. I knew they probably thought it would be too much for me to handle right now and, in all honestly, it probably was. But I needed to say goodbye to my best friend properly.

"Dad!" I called, hoping he would hear me all the way downstairs. Hearing the almost immediate rushed footfalls up the stairs gave me my answer.

"Yeah Bells?" my dad said as he popped his head into my room.

"I want to go to Angela's funeral tomorrow," I said, not wasting time.

"Oh, I don't know Bella," he said. "I know you want to say goodbye to your friend, but you just got home from the hospital and I don't want you to overdo it."

"Dad, please. I have to do this," I said as he came over and sat on my bed. My dad studied my face for a silent minute and must have seen how much this meant to me, because he sighed in resignation.

"Alright. But if you get too overwhelmed, you tell me right away," he said.

"I will. I promise," I said.

"Okay," my dad said as he kissed my forehead, "Oh, there is something I need to warn you about."

"What" I asked.

"Your mom is downstairs making soup."

"So?" I asked, not getting what the problem was. Even my culinary-challenged mother could make a simple can of soup.

"From scratch," my dad added.

"Oh God," I said with a look of horror on my face, "What kind?"

"I don't know, but it's green," my dad said as he tried and failed to hide his disgust.

"Is it supposed to be?" I asked. His eyes rolled upwards as his shoulders shrugged with obvious uncertainty. "Please don't make me eat it," I begged, already knowing it was useless.

"Bella, I'm sure it's fine. You know it would break her heart if you didn't," my dad said, but I could tell he felt bad for me. I was about to say something else when I heard my mom ascending the stairs. My dad and I both froze and he grabbed my good hand in what I assumed was a sign of support.

"Bella honey, I made you some soup," my mom said as she breezed into the room.

"Mom, you really shouldn't have," I said as my dad snorted and tried to cover it up with a fake cough.

"Nonsense. It's the least I could do," she said as she set the bowl in my lap. I hesitantly picked up the spoon and took a small sip of the green chunky liquid.

"Yum," I said as I tried to hide my disgust. My acting must have improved, because my mom smiled happily before giving my hair a little fluff and leaving the room. As soon as she left I spit what left in mouth back into the bowl.

"How bad was it?" my dad asked quietly.

"Bad. Very, very bad," I replied, "It tastes like vomit."

"Well, that's fitting since that's what it looks like," my dad said. "I'll dump it in the bathroom and try to sneak you something else to eat later."

"Thank you," I replied gratefully.

"You're welcome," he replied, "Now get some rest." My dad picked up the bowl and left the room. As soon as he was gone I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. When I woke a few hours later I found a sandwich sitting on my nightstand. I silently thanked my dad before gobbling it up and falling back to sleep.

My dad must have told my mom about me wanting to attend Angela's funeral, because she woke me up the next morning to help me dress. She helped me bathe and wash my hair before helping me slip into a simple black dress. Once I was dressed my dad helped me into the car and the three of us were on our way.

The funeral was being held at the church where Angela's father was a minister. It didn't take us long to get there, and when we did my dad helped me out of the car. As we walked into the church I couldn't help but notice how everyone was staring at me. I kept my head down and let my parents guide me to a pew.

Once we were seated I looked up. I saw Angela's parents and her younger twin brothers sitting in the front. Angela's mom met my gaze and gave me a small, watery smile. I tried to smile back as my own eyes filled with tears, but was unsuccessful.

Somber music filled the air and I turned around and watched as the casket was brought in. My mom wrapped her arm around my shoulder and I let the tears fall as they were wont to do. Once the minister started talking I scanned the room to see who else had come. I saw Ben with his family, many of my other classmates and teachers, and Alice Cullen and her mom. Luckily, Tyler and Eric were not there. I didn't think anyone would have been able to handle seeing them today. If it wasn't for them we wouldn't even be here saying good bye to such an amazing person.

Once the minister finished, Angela's dad came up and gave the eulogy. It was beautiful; he talked about how wonderful Angela was and what a good person she was, how we were all blessed to have known her. By the time he was done I was a mess, and I knew I would last much longer. Thankfully a few minutes later it was time to leave to go to the cemetery.

"Can you handle this, Bella?" my mom asked once we were in the car.

"Yes," I replied, but I didn't know if that was actually the truth. The drive was short, and once we arrived my parents walked on either side of me as we made our way to the gravesite. The minister once again said a few words, and then Angela's mom handed out roses for us to place on the coffin. When she got to me she gave me a brief, gentle hug.

At that point I was barely hanging on. I walked to the coffin and placed my rose on it.

"Goodbye Angela," I whispered as tears fell steadily and I began to shake. My dad picked up on my distress and began leading me back to the car and away from my best friend.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Angelus Draco,ShimmerWolf, jansails,LiLi82, sujari6, debslmac,AliBelly, lynard69, boo1414,alc1002, sandy4321, ellaryne, Flavia Ribeiro for taking the time to leave a review it means a lot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


End file.
